Philadelphia-based TLA Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to Miles Swain’s gay romantic comedy “The Trip.” The film, which traces the evolution of a couple from their college days in 1973 to their reunion during a road after a seven-year separation, will open May 2 in New York.

“This was one of the easiest acquisition decisions we ever made,” said Richard A. Wolf, TLA’s director of acquisitions and marketing, in a prepared statement. “It is wonderful love story told in a really novel way, and the consistently enthusiastic reactions of film festival affirmed our high regard for this film.” The film, winner of the audience award at the Washington D.C. Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, will platform nationally starting with Los Angeles and San Francisco. Swain’s directorial debut features actors Larry Sullivan and Steve Braun as two radically different lovers, one a “homosexual activist,” the other a “straight” diehard Republican.

TLA Releasing previous released Ventura Pons’ “Food of Love” and Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland’s “The Fluffer,” which was jointly distributed with First Run Features.